i've got futures to look forward to
by occhans
Summary: Childhood friendships are hard to become something more, or so he's told. (Or; 20 times Machina and Rem were in love) [Rated T for Character Death]


This is reuploaded from my archiveofourown account for probably no reason? Haha

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01\. Autumn

Machina notices how Rem's hair and eyes match with the autumn trees' leaves as he watches her search for leaves to step on as they pass time before the next lesson (he's dumbstruck, and curses himself he doesn't have a means to never forget the sight, like a photograph).

02\. Run

Ever since they were kids, Rem had what Machina would call a bad habit, of running up to him when she saw him in the distance, tripping in an attempt to stop so that she won't land on him (he's not sure why he calls it bad, he's always happy when she does it, despite the embarrassment).

03\. Peace

"Hey, Machina?" She asks him once as they sit at the bench in the garden, looking at the sky, "What do you think would have happened if the Crystals never existed? Would we still have a reason for war? Or would we live normal lives?" Machina surpesses an urge to laugh, it's an innocent question, but he has no answer; "Who knows?"

04\. Sunset

The sunset, along with the fire burning their village, looked more beautiful than they expectd it to be (than they wanted it to be) and he can feel his best friend's hand hold tighter to the shirt of his sleeve.

05\. Worry

She sits near the fire, listening to her classmates talk about leaving Machina behind if he doesn't return any time soon (even worse, discussing the possibility of the Empire having already caught him) and sinks her head in worry, Class Zero's words getting to her.

06\. Missing

Ace looks at the unconcious Rem one more time, gritting his teeth, and for at least once in his life, agreeing with Nine, just where in Oriense is Machina now, when Rem needs him?

07\. Book

"If I wrote a book about Class Zero, would you read it?" He asks, meddling with his food rather than eating. Her reply is a smile, "Considering it's you, someone will have to keep an eye on what you write, and who better than someone who had better marks in essays than you?" (She only wants to make sure that despite writing all his memories down, he stays sane, she knows all writing about Class Zero will bring him is pain, but she doesn't dare stop him).

08\. Fear

Despite being a star student, Machina was afraid of death and being forgotten, (he supposes everyone was) meeting Rem again gave him more things to be afraid of, like forgetting her, being left alone (with the class that got his brother killed , no less), at times he's even afraid he will be the one to take her life, one wrong move with one of his rapiers and- He wonders if he really is as clumsy as he fears himself to be (he hopes he isn't).

09\. Crazy

Ever since he found that damned White Tiger l'Cie, he's been questioning himself, who is he? Where does he belong? What does Rem mean to him? He wonders if people his age always have such questions, or if he's just going crazy.

10\. Forget

Her cold hands touch his cheeks, staining them with blood, "Please..." Her broken voice begs, he's on the verge of throwing himself on his rapiers at the sound "Don't forget me..." Her hands fall from his face, and he just wants some kind of hell to take him away before his memories are gone.

11\. Promise

"Then... Do you also remember that you promised to marry me when we're older?" He laughs as he remembers the question, because here he is, 10 years after he made said promise, and 3 after he denied he was serious, actually fulfilling it.

12\. Dance

There is no way Machina was dancing, even if it was his own wedding, or so he endlessly claims, despite everyone, especially Rem, telling him that he has enough time to practice and master the steps (he only agrees when Rem threatens him she'd announce that one of Class Zero's last survivors is afraid of dancing, blackmail or not, he himself knew he'd agree at some point or another).

13\. Hold

He wraps his small arms around her as tight as he can, it's the last thing he can do to reassure her that even if the Empire takes away all of their villages, they'll be safe (that he won't let the Empire touch either of them).

14\. Pain

Living together meant that she had to admit she was taking some kind of medication, even if she didn't say anything about the side-effects (he finds out soon enough, when her face lets out all the pain she's feeling despite being asleep, and all he can do is hold her, hope that the medicine's side-effects wear out soon).

15\. Repeat

He holds Rem in his arms, whom he had just stabbed (even if his classmates had told him that he wasn't killing her, but freeing her) and Dr. Arecia approaches him; "Do you wish to repeat this Spiral?" (he feels like he's heard this before, more than once) his reply is immediate, if it means he has a chance of saving her, he'll take it.

16\. Wait

Waiting for Dr. Arecia's check up on Rem to finish was more agonizing than the pain in his back (he wants to say that he won't be the one to carry her next time, but looking around him, he thinks that he shouldn't entrust his childhood friend's safety to anyone on Class Zero).

17\. Illness

A part of him is sure that Rem is hiding a serious illness behind her constant coughs, another part of him wants to trust her and believe that she simply tires her throat too much.

18\. Opposites

"You know... Opposites tend to attract" Rem hears Cater say, although she wasn't paying attention about what exactly, her eyes shift to her childhood friend, impatient (while she could wait forever), unable to hold his anger (she doesn't like mentioning it, but she surely is better at managing her emotions than him), and she starts to wonder...

19\. Sleep

She finds Machina asleep on one of the benches Ace usually sleeps on (she has to wonder just how they can sleep so peacefully there) and takes a moment to notice how much calmer he looks while asleep (even he needs a break, she supposes), her eyes drift from his peacefully closed eyes, to his lips, and she stares at them before shaking her head, blushing and trying to get the wonder of what kissing him would be like out of her head.

20\. Kiss

His attempts to kiss her go fruitless every time, either by getting startled and moving away once he gets close, or not being able to get close at all; "It's just me" She laughs, and he knows she's right and he has nothing to be nervous about, so he decides to go for it, his lips slowly, softly touching hers (he finds it some kind of miracle when she kisses him back, just as awkwardly as him, but that's the least of his worries).


End file.
